A consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician, Abosede Lewu, has cautioned women against falling victim to fraudsters exploiting the concept of cryptic pregnancy, noting that while the condition is real, it is widely misunderstood.
Speaking on Thursday, Lewu explained that cryptic pregnancy refers to a genuine pregnancy in which a woman remains unaware of her condition until about five months or even until labour.
“Cryptic pregnancy is a real pregnancy. The major difference between it and every other pregnancy is awareness. The woman is pregnant but does not know,” she said, adding that it is more common among women with irregular menstrual cycles, those approaching menopause, and breastfeeding mothers whose menstruation has not resumed.
Lewu warned that cryptic pregnancy carries risks because it is often unplanned, leaving affected women medically and emotionally unprepared.
She also raised concern over unscrupulous individuals who exploit desperate women trying to conceive. “Some scammers take advantage of women by claiming to see a pregnancy and continue to pump them with medications to stop their periods,” she said, stressing that genuine cryptic pregnancy would still be detectable through proper medical tests.
She advised women to be cautious, noting, “As a woman, if you are working with someone who claims to be helping you get pregnant and only that person can see the pregnancy, then you are being scammed.”
Lewu urged women facing fertility challenges to seek help from qualified gynaecologists rather than untrained persons, warning that unregulated treatments could lead to severe, life-threatening health conditions.